Power of Paint: Amazing Results With an Affordable Project

Few things make as large of an impact on a home as repainting the interior. The alternatives available to make an equally powerful statement often involve demolition and construction. If you are looking for a way to drastically upgrade the appearance of your home, consider overhauling your home color scheme and getting new paint on the walls.

New paint. New look.

In the 2000s, thanks to the power of HGTV and a natural urge to jump on board with trends, beige took over the world. My home was no different, even with it’s recent painting just a few months before I purchased it. Worse yet, this beige came with a lovely pink hue that became apparent as soon as any other colors touched the wall. When I bought the home, I honestly told myself I wasn’t going to touch the new paint – Just like I told myself I’m not going to rip out the carpet, no matter how badly I want hardwood. The carpet remained, but baseboards were being pulled from the walls within a week to change the color.

Why I decided to jump the paint gun, and why you should too.

If you happened to read my article outlining the best steps to take when preparing to move, you will recall I talk about making a priority list and focusing on finishing projects one at a time. When I moved into the house, the list was already made. Paint fell somewhere below new fridge, moving the laundry location, and knocking out a few walls. It doesn’t make much sense to paint walls before knocking them down, or so I thought.

The reality was, people wanted to come see the house. Friends and family wanted to see what my new project was and showed a genuine interest in the projects I had planned. Presented with a newfound interest of folks wanting to see my home, my gut said, “change the priorities.” Major renovation is going to take time, but I still wanted to entertain and show off the new house, so paint moved up on the list. Just a couple “oohs” and “aaahs” can make you feel great about the progress you are making on the home.

Enough about me. Why should you consider a complete repaint of your interior? I think there are two different scenarios that can play out, so I will address them both.

The New Homeowner

Regardless of priorities, there is one benefit of starting with paint for a new homeowner. You don’t have to move everything into your house right off the bat. Leave as much of the house empty as possible, and attack the walls and trim first. I can’t emphasize enough how much easier painting is when you aren’t dodging furniture and decor. You’re also going to approach painting from a more professional standpoint that will save you time in the future. Want to move a large wall-mounted corner cabinet in a couple years? Guess what, it has your old paint color behind it. If you know you’re going to be removing walls or making major renovation, you can skip those walls. I personally didn’t, but sometimes I prioritize showing off work over working efficiently in my personal life. To each their own.

It does look really good though.

The Longtime Homeowner

If you’ve owned your home for a few years and haven’t put up a new coat of paint, consider why you’ve stuck with the same color. Is it out of convenience, or do you love your color scheme so much you would never make a change? Don’t get me wrong, maybe you picked out the perfect home color scheme on your last go, but we can’t all be so diligent with our decisions. Plus, there are endless schemes that work in a space and maybe something suits your style more these days. If you decide it is time for a change, start with one room and see how you feel about being in the new space. Although painting, isn’t my favorite activity in the world, the results feel pretty darn good. And if you like your colors as they are, maybe some touchups are in order.

I apologize for that comment – As soon as you start looking for blemishes in your paint, you will find them.

Spoilers: DIY artwork coming in the future. But first, other priorities.

No Paint, No Gain.

I can talk about the benefits all day long, but I know what you want to see. Results! So let’s take a look at the transformation of my home from 2000s era blah to modern sleek. If what I show below isn’t your style, there are plenty of other color schemes out there and I created a guide on how to create a home color scheme that matches your personality.

Oak is for bourbon, not for trim

Very grandmotherly. No offense, grannies!

Keep in mind, this was a NEW paint job.

Oak is for bourbon, not for trim.

These walls look pink in person.

The office. I can’t work in this!

You get the point.

Headed to the modern era

Finally home

Bedroom Window

Hallway

Front Entrance

Living Room

Office Window

Living Room

Circling Back.

I’m pretty sure I intended to provide some practical tips on how paint your home. Well, that’s just how it goes sometime. I will have some posts in the future with painting tips and techniques. As I started writing this, I realized the feeling of walking into a home painted ceiling to floor by your own hands (and possibly the help of your painting-addicted mother) is hard to explain. All I can say is, it’s worth it. “Power of Paint” sounds pretty hokey, but new paint really does provide a sense of accomplishment and dramatic change to your environment

About Me

Whether I'm publishing a book, brewing up a batch of beer, or remodeling a home to make it my own, DIY always feels right. If you are looking for inspiration for new projects, or looking to see what has worked well for me, you are in the right place.